Process of making carbon monoxid, hydrogen, and nitrogen.



R. H. BROWNLEE & R. H. UHLINGER. -PnooBss 0F MAKING CARBON NoNoXID, HYDROGBN, AND NHROGBN.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12. 1913.V

1,107,581. PatntedAug18,1914

UNITED -sTATEs PATENToEEIoE.

l'noir H. BEOWNIIEE ,AND` ROYH. UPILINGER, or PITTSBUnGH, PENNSYLVANIA,

AssIeNoR-s, BY MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, To AMERICAN NITRO-PMDUCTS com- PANY, oF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A coBPoRATIoN oF-DELAWAR-E.

PEoCEss or MAxINGoA'nBoN MoNoxID, HYDEOGEN, AND NITROenit,`-':; l

To allwhom t may concern.-

= Be it known that we, Roi H. BROWNLFE and Rox H. UILINGER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in thelcounty of 'Allegheny andfState of Pennsylvania,

have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in 'Processes of Making Carbon Monoxid, Hydrogen, and Nitrogen, of which thefollowin-g is a specification.

Our invention consists of an improved methodbr process of making carbon monoxid, hydrogen and nitrogen by utilizing the roducts of'combustlon of Internal comb'ustlon or explosionengmes, or other comb uston; chamber, whereby to produce the carbol monoxid and hydrogen from the original lco bustible substance, and in so doing extrac the oxygen from" the air used to support the combustion or explosion, andso also obtain nltrogen, In themanner more full hereinafter described. Y l

T e process may be carried out in connection with suitable installation of mechanism and will be readily understood by reference to the ,accompanying diagrammatic drawings, showing the principal elements empleyede 'In practising the invention, natural gas, coal gas, or other suitable gaseous, Iliquid or solid carbonaceous substance, isv mixed in any suitable manner, with an insuilicient amount of air forl complete combustion, and the mixture is exploded in the cylinder of an internal combustion engine, or is exploded or burned in any suitable chamber. The

terms exploded and burned may be understood as synonymous in so far as they indicate combustion generally,- differing merely in rate or speed. It is intended that ,the mixture shall beso regulated as to be w supplied with only suilicient air for incomplete combustionof the earbonaceou's material, z'. e., in suitable amount for producing the largest practicable yield of carbon monoxid andhydrogen, and under these conditions practically all of the oxygen iseremoved 'from the air, leaving the nitrogen. `For example, if natural gas is used, a mixture of approximately l volume .of gas to 6'?! volumes ofA air is preferably employed with Specicationof Letters Patent.

Application led April 12, 1913. Serial No. 760,673.'

Patented Aug.

Under the above conditions considerable power 1s produced and at theV same time good ylelds of carbon monoxid and hydrogen are obta1ned. The mixture of water vapor, carbon d1ox1d, carbon monoxid, hydrogen and nitrogen resulting after the combustion or explosion is then cooled to remove the moisture, then compressed, and the carbon di- -oxid and carbon monoxid and nitrogen liquefied in turn, thus leaving very pure hydrogen In the gaseous state, but highly compressed. Thei carbon monoxid and nitrogen will be liquefied .together and are separated by absorbing the carbon monoxid 1n a suitable absorbent, thus leaving nitrogen for further use, or by maintaining the mixed liquefied gases under proper conditions of temperature-and pressure, the two substances 'may be separated by fractional distillation, yusing the same apparatus, with Intermittent steps of operation.

It will be further understood that instead of compressing and liquefying the carbon dioxid,'ete.a after the removal of moisture by cooling, we may absorb the. carbon dioxid with suitable absorbents, as Calcium oxid or hydroxid (lime) and likewise the carbon `monoxid with `suitable absorbents` as ammoniacal cuprous chlorid, leaving the nitrogen and hydrogen to be separated by compression-and liquefaction of the nitrogen.

The process may be carried out by the use .of apparatus similar to that shown in our copending application, Serial No. 760674, for

.process of making carbon monoxid and hydrogen. A i

Referring to the diagrammatic drawings, Figure 1, 2 is an linternal combustion engine or other suitable chamber, to which the mixture of carbonaceous material and air is supplied in the normal manner from the mixer 3 and compressed and exploded in the engine chamber. The resulting products of y combustion', water vapor, carbon dioxid, earlbon monoxid, hydrogen and nitrogen pass byexhau'st vpipe 4 to a suitable chamber or refrigerating coil 5, or through several such,

Awhere the gases are chilled and the moisture separates as water, thence to compressor 6 where the gases are compressed and the carbon dioxid is liquefied and collected in a holder 7 provided with a suitable draining pipe 8. The carbon monoxid and nitrogen pass thence to a compressor 9, Where the gases are further compressed and the carbon monoxid and nitrogen are liquefied and collected in a holder 10. The remaining hydrogen passes through outlet 12 to a receiver or holder 13.

In Fig. 2, the exhaust gases from the engine 2, or other combustion chamber, are carried to an absorption tower or chamber '14 Where the carbon dioxid is absorbed by lime, the remaining gases passing by 'a suitable conduit to a similar tower or chamber l5 where the carbon monoxid is absorbed, the' gases passing thence finally to a compressor 16. Being compressed, the resulting liquefied nitrogen collects in a receiver 17 having a drairrpipe 18, and the' remaining hydrogen in gaseous state passes off through conduit 19 to a receiver 20 and may be therein storedand compressed for further use. l

What we claim is:

1. The process of making carbon monoxid,

hydrogen and nitrogen consisting in mixing a carbonaceous substance with an amount of air suicient to support incomplete combustion of the mixtu're to produce a maximum amount of `carbon monoxid and hydrogen but insuicient to support combustion suiiciently complete to produce the normal amount of' carbon dioxid and Water, explod'- v mg the mixture in a suitable chamber,`and

then separately separating the carbon monoxid, hydrogen, and nitrogen from the other products of combustion, substantially as set forth.

2. The process of making carbon dioxid, carbon monoxid, hydrogen and nitrogen consisting in` mixing a carbonaceous substance with an amount of air suicient to support incomplete combustion of the mixture to produce :a maximum amount of carbon monoxid and hydrogen but insufiicient to support combustion sufficiently complete to produceythe normal amount of carbon dioxid and water, exploding the mixture in a suitable chamber, and then se arately separatin the carbon dioxid, car on monoxid and nitrogen, and hydrogen, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aixl our signatures in the presence of two wit- IleSSeS.

ROY H. BROWNLEE. ROY H. UHLINGER.

Witnesses:

C. M. CLARKE, FREDx. STAUB. 

